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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22982968">I’ll Meet You On The Other Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyInvestedFangirl/pseuds/OverlyInvestedFangirl'>OverlyInvestedFangirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:14:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22982968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyInvestedFangirl/pseuds/OverlyInvestedFangirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a mysterious strange girl brings a spark of life and excitement back into Draco's life, well he was going to chase after it until the end</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Against All Odds Oneshot Contest 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I’ll Meet You On The Other Side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a part of an anonymous contest and will remain so until after the contest has been voted on and reveals are finished.<br/>We would like to acknowledge that all of the writers know that the Harry Potter characters, locations and any plot lines used are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Once death was cruel and callous, taking pleasure in the pain and suffering of mortals. Particularly satisfied when tricking those who behaved atrociously themselves into some grave misfortune or nightmarish turn of events they did not suspect.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The years had worn away at her though. No one truly lived forever but when you saw the same kind of selfishness, cruelty, and heartlessness in people no matter how much time passed or tragedy occurred, well you started to wonder if it was always the same people just wearing different faces. Maybe inside the mortals really were, all the same, all nasty, disgusting, emotionally challenged personalities kept inside a meat suit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now death waited, alone and tired until she could find something, anything to ignite the spark inside. Something different from all the selfish mundane souls she worked with every day, something that toying with the mortals no longer gave her. </em>
</p><p>***</p><p>The wind whistled past his ears and made his hair look wilder than Potters ever had as it thrashed about, which was an achievement within itself albeit not one Draco desired to achieve, but he still wasn't satisfied. For months he had been trying to further develop his flying techniques and skills, smoother turns, deeper dives and faster, always faster. </p><p>He had always loved flying, even when his father made him join the school quidditch team in second year he didn't mind so much unlike some of the other things his father had forced him into before the war had been won. At least he was doing something he enjoyed when he had been on the quidditch team. But he wanted more, he wanted to go faster, feel freer, really and truly fly without feeling like something was holding him back. </p><p>If he had any control of what he would become Draco would have just become an Animagus, at this point he was likely to reach his goal faster that way. Unfortunately, though he couldn't guarantee a bird of prey or some equally agile creature would be the result. As handy as they may have been for them in their situations, Draco wasn't particularly keen on the idea of being a beetle or a rat-like Rita Skeeter or Peter Pettigrew. </p><p>So instead he'd studied every book he could find on flying, quidditch and broom making, spent countless hours practising every method the wizarding world could think of to improve his flying. Just last week he had owled both Nimbus Racing Broom and Ellerby and Spudmore to see if they'd let him come in and have a look at how they produced the Nimbus models and the Firebolt. </p><p>At first, both manufacturers seemed worried he was trying to start a new broomstick company and was going to try to learn all their trade secrets. After a lengthy explanation and many promises that he merely wanted to learn about broomsticks solely for his own personal enjoyment. Finally convinced that he was (probably) not going to purloin their ideas both eventually allowed him to take a tour. Though unsurprisingly Ellerby and Spudmore were much harder to convince, ever since they had produced the Firebolt they wanted so desperately to keep their spot as the highest quality producer in the market. </p><p>The broom he was currently flying was their latest test model, yet it still wasn't enough for him. He could feel it was better than the one he had stored in his room at the manor but he also knew that there was still more potential that could be unlocked. There just had to be and he now thought he knew how to unlock it. </p><p>
  <em>A few days ago Potter had convinced Blaise, Theo and himself to go to the zoo with some of his friends, mainly the Weasley's, Neville and Luna. Though they were all friendly enough towards each other nowadays he wasn't overly keen on spending hours with them looking at muggle animals. That changed when he got to the avian segment of the zoo, the birds of prey show that was running as they walked through had garnered his attention in particular. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Watching Kestrels and Ospreys gracefully soar far above, Harriers taking off from the arms of their handlers, seeming to effortlessly reach dizzying altitudes with the slightest flap of their wings. It was inspirational to watch, the slight adjustment of a single feather could make them perform the sharpest turns imaginable or pull up from a dive at what seemed more last second than Viktor Krum ever left it when performing his Wronski Feint. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As majestic as those were, his new favourite bird was the Peregrine Falcon. Listed as one of, if not the fastest muggle animals in the world, it could dive for prey at astonishingly fast speeds and when doing so kept their wings almost entirely closed. The speed of this dive, in most cases, is high enough to cause a deadly impact for their victim or when it doesn't they have other tools in their inventory such as their beak to finish them off. That was the kind of speed and control Draco longed to have when in the air. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As soon as he had gotten home that day he talked to Narcissa, within an hour she had her house-elf construction team setting up a new aviary on the manor grounds. It would have been sooner had his mother not spent most of that time making him vow to not let his father take up hunting with the birds and end up looking like an 'overweight, pompous git from the middle ages' as she so elegantly put it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>While the house-elves worked on constructing the aviary, Draco had sent off a purchase order via owl requesting several Peregrine Falcons amongst the other various types of birds he intended on studying to help with his broom design. While he waited for the birds to be sent over he had taken to testing the new Ellerby and Spudmore model at almost every waking hour. </em>
</p><p>He thought he had flown enough to be able to safely mull things over while on a broom but clearly he was wrong. Unexpectedly catching sight of a stranger, a brown haired girl at the edge of the field he was flying on. </p><p>Draco lost his grip due to the shock, soon he was plummeting to the ground below. As he was falling he wondered if this was how the Peregrine Falcon felt as it dived, suspended in time while simultaneously rushing into the next moment. Then Draco saw the girl wave her hand in his direction, he immediately felt himself slow until he gently touched the grass, far softer than he had been expecting seconds before. </p><p>Getting up Draco searched the tree line for the girl, finding her still standing where she was when he fell. The broomstick was on the ground next to her, seemingly in one piece thank Merlin. Draco didn't know how he would explain this situation to the manufacturers if it had been damaged. Not that he couldn't compensate them for the damages but he'd rather not destroy their property in the first place. </p><p>Hesitantly he edged towards the girl, she may have saved his life but she was a stranger, one that had managed to get onto manor grounds. Which meant she was either a guest no one mentioned to him or extremely powerful, either situation warranted some caution. </p><p>As Draco got closer he took in her features, her hair was indeed a wild brown mane but it had a fire like sheen when struck by the right light and it gave her a fierce demeanor. She had a smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose, molten chocolate eyes framed by dark lashes and deathly pale skin. For a moment almost making Draco wonder if he was seeing a ghost was she not so obviously opaque. Combined with a long-sleeved, obsidian coloured lace ballroom dress, black heeled lace-up boots and dark leather gloves the girl made an imposing yet intriguing sight. </p><p>"I believe this is yours, yes?" She queried once within hearing distance. Draco walked until he was half a dozen paces or so from her before responding, still wary about the mysterious stranger. </p><p>"Technically no, it's on loan for product testing, but I will be needing it back now ma'am." He started extending his hand out expectantly. This earned him a raised eyebrow and the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth, as if she was repressing a smile. Not that he was looking at her mouth for any particular reason, he just noticed the movement. The fact he had amused the girl made him smirk, it certainly was shaping up to be a rather interesting encounter. </p><p>"Why are you testing it?" She retorted, ignoring his demand. </p><p>"The company who designed it asked me to." Draco had decided to entertain her desire to question him for now. </p><p>"Why did you agree?" Yet another question from the girl.<br/>
 <br/>
"Because I want to fly like a bird does, faster and better than we currently can on a broomstick." Draco explained, curious as to why she herself was so curious and more importantly where she had come from. </p><p>Stepping closer and squatting down to pick up the broomstick he noticed she was carefully taking in his every movement. As if worried he would potentially attack or run at any moment. Straightening up, he looked a little closer at her figure, she stood maybe a foot or two shorter than him and the dress gave the impression of some small curves. </p><p>"Why do you want to fly like a bird?" She started again. </p><p>The smirk on Draco's face now a grin at her insistent interrogation, "I feel free when I fly, freer than I ever have anywhere else so far. It's my favourite place in the world, in the air on a broom."</p><p>"Doesn't the risk of falling scare you?" </p><p>"I think the reward is worth the risk" </p><p>"Doesn't that make you a bit of a thrill-seeker?" </p><p>"It wouldn't be the first time I've been a seeker while on a broom" Draco laughed to himself, she was relentless in her questioning but he was certainly amused by it all. </p><p>"What are you referring to?" She asked, tilting her head inquisitively. </p><p>"A sport I played while at school called quidditch, the position I played was called a seeker. I had to find the golden snitch to end the match." Draco explained, wondering just where this girl came from if she didn't know anything about quidditch. </p><p>"Do you still play?" It felt as if it was the most personal question of them all, thinking about how he was limited to playing occasional games with his few friends from school that didn't go to Azkaban. How did anyone explain that to someone let alone a complete stranger? </p><p>"Not exactly, not competitively anyway." Try as he might the somber tone leached into his words. Seeming to think something over she then motioned for Draco to follow her, sure he would be safe enough on his own property he followed her a few steps into the tree line. </p><p>She walked towards a tree that was gradually dying and placed her hand upon it palm down. A dark coloured magic flowed through it then dissipated. </p><p>"Use this for your broom, the wood of this tree will serve your purpose well." She instructed. </p><p>"But it's dying, why would it work as a broom?" </p><p>"Don't question me, just do it and you will see." With that, she walked off at a brisk pace, before long Draco couldn't even hear the crunch of her boots against the ground as he stood dumbfounded. </p><p>***</p><p><br/>
<br/>
Despite many apprehensions and doubts, Draco had discussed the removal of the tree with Narcissa that evening. Though he thought it best that he leave out mention of just where he had encountered the girl or the odd and unknown magic Draco thought he'd seen her use. </p><p>No need to worry his mother with security issues when he had no answers to the questions she would undoubtedly ask. He had promised himself he'd tell her when he knew more, in a futile attempt to ease the small pool of guilt forming from the deception towards his mother. </p><p>Though not a flier herself even his mother questioned the logic behind using a dying tree for broom manufacturing. Making it abundantly clear she wasn't particularly keen on Draco testing out, as she had called it, a bit of dodgy wood from a useless half-dead tree suggested by some random stranger. </p><p>"Look, mother, I'm not making much progress with my other endeavours. At worst I will waste a bit more time, find out that the wood is no good and she was pulling my leg. At best she was somehow right, I'll make progress on my broom and you had some unintended landscaping done to help maintain your pristine gardens you take so much pride in." Draco finally attested with an exhausted sigh. His words leaving Narcissa with a disapproving glare on her face aimed directly at him but no longer arguing so vehemently against the idea. </p><p>"I'll have the elves deal with the tree tomorrow and bring you whatever remains of it after removal." Narcissa amended, before narrowing her eyes and assessing Draco shrewdly. "This better not be you pulling my leg, only you saw this mystery girl. So if you've just decided to play some game with me, well dear, what happened to your father after he forgot our anniversary will seem like nothing compared to what I do to you. I don't like to be taken for a fool, especially by my own son." </p><p>With that she swiftly turned and left the dining room, retiring to her own wing of the manor for the evening. Draco just felt brain dead, overwhelmed and so very lost. He was left wondering what had actually occurred today because he wasn't quite  so sure he even knew all the days events had really been. For now, his silk sheets and mountain of pillows were calling to him, promising what might actually be a decent night's sleep. </p><p>***</p><p>Days went past without another visit from the intriguing stranger. The morning after his encounter with the mystery girl, the house-elves had placed the tree, thankfully all in one piece, into his workroom. Before he could even look at it though, he had to return the test broom and write up the report of his findings.</p><p>A task made much harder by the fact that his train of thought kept leading back to the lady in black and the tree she had shown him. Said tree now residing a mere quaffle throw from the office he was in. Eventually, though he had finished writing up his report, then sent it and the broomstick back to Ellerby and Spudmore. </p><p>He'd then spent the rest of that afternoon and almost every waking hour of the day's following doing test after test on the tree's wood. Initially just seeing how well suited it would be for making a broomstick. </p><p>He didn't know if he was truly surprised when everything he did indicated it would work. Deciding he didn't have anything to lose he began construction on the broom. Mere hours after he had started, he saw her again. </p><p>One moment he was carving out a handle, alone in the manors workshop, the next he saw a figure sitting on the edge of the benches that lined the right side of the room. She had a small grin adorning her face, Draco couldn't help but think she looked rather beautiful when she smiled. </p><p>"I'm glad you took my advice." She stated while he stood frozen, still unsure how to react to her. His mind told him to be careful but there was something in his chest drawing him to her. She was unexpected and different from everything he'd seen before. Her presence made him feel equally alive to what flying did. When so little did that anymore, well even if she could get through the manor protections he didn't care nearly so much as he perhaps should. </p><p>"I did, when a beautiful lady asks you to do something, a gentleman does so." He retorted before thinking through what he was actually saying. He had just begun to feel bashful about it when he took notice of the barely there blush on her cheeks and a shy downward glance. </p><p>"Beautiful isn't a word people usually use when talking of me, painful perhaps but not beautiful." She told him, voice breaking slightly by the end. </p><p>"Well they clearly don't know you very well if they think that, even a blind man could see your beauty. And you surely can't be that painful, considering you saved me from plummeting to the ground after falling off my broom." Draco immediately responded coming to her own defence. </p><p>He might have been a prick when he was younger but that didn't mean he would stand for someone insulting a lady now. Plus Narcissa would have him neutered if she ever found out, even if the person was the lady herself. </p><p>" You don't know that, you don't really know me." She bitterly replied. </p><p>" Perhaps not, but I would like to know you more." </p><p>"You can't mean that."</p><p>"I do." He swore to her. Summoning whatever Gryffindor courage had rubbed off on him from being around Potter and all his friends as he cautiously made his way towards where she sat. </p><p>"What do you mean? What are you doing?" Was her flustered response. He inched forward, not wanting to freak her out, until he was about a foot away from her. </p><p>"I would like to kiss you, very much in fact." He admitted. Shock spread across her face before turning into a defeated gloom. </p><p>"You can't." Was her simple denial. </p><p>"That's OK, I won't pressure you if you're not interested or already with someone." Draco immediately pulled back to give her space but she looked conflicted as he did so. </p><p>"I'm sorry, I swear it's not a want issue, you literally can't. It won't end well for you if you do and I don't think it's something I want to happen. To see you hurt anymore because of me." She assuredly said, eyes downcast and avoiding his gaze. </p><p>He was confused by her meaning, how had he been hurt by her. He wasn't a seer but he was pretty sure there wasn't a guarantee he would end up hurt from her. Either way wasn't that the risk people took when they pursued something with someone. </p><p>All these thoughts raced through his head faster than a Firebolt, however by the end of his thought process he had the metaphorical snitch in view. He came to the conclusion that he liked this girl, that he wanted to be with her, even if she adamantly believed she'd only cause him pain. Draco had decided this feeling was worth the risk of whatever the future held. </p><p>"What if I don't care about that possibility, what if I think you'd be worth it." </p><p>"You don't really mean that. I'm not who you think I am. You don't know it nor would you likely understand but you've encountered me in many forms, many times throughout your life. I am not something you want to get involved with."</p><p>"I do mean it, even if you aren't what I think, I want to know who you are." </p><p>Carefully and cautiously reaching forward, he brushed her hair behind her ear then softly caressed the cool skin of her cheek. Draco felt her lean ever so slightly into the touch, as he gazed at her with longing, he almost thought he saw her dark umber eyes glisten with the beginnings of tears. </p><p>"You don't know what you're saying. You don't know the consequences." She mournfully responded, still not letting him break through the strong walls she had clearly built around herself. </p><p>"I'll accept whatever consequences come my way, I'm not the young boy I once was, who hid behind his father when something went wrong." With a slow, deep breath she hesitantly caressed his face after hearing his firm words before sighing and shifting away from his embrace. </p><p>"I'll be back when the rose comes into full bloom. If you're still sure then we can possibly discuss things further but until then I want you to go live your life to its fullest, as if I didn't exist and wasn't coming back to you." The words said felt bittersweet on her tongue, the unspoken words like acid burning her throat. </p><p>Desperate to tell him and yet incapable of doing so due to her own damn rules made eons ago. She wanted to tell him, warn him, that her advice wasn't just about forgetting a girl. She wished fervently to tell Draco, to let him know that what she really wanted, was for him to live like death hadn't left its cold, dark stain on his spirit. </p><p>To tell him the rose wasn't just a rose nor a living clock but a timer, a countdown until he was marked to leave and not return here was something she could not do. No matter how much she wanted to scrub away that mark, even death didn't have the power to halt mortality forever and he was already living on time she had borrowed. </p><p>"Rose? What rose? What do you mean by all that?" Draco queried with a confused look painting his face. </p><p>Pointing towards the small budded rose stem that now lay on his desk was all the explanation she gave. As she cupped his cheek in a tender embrace Draco closed his eyes, enjoying her comforting touch, she then swiftly exited while his eyes were still closed. Avoiding a proper goodbye and all the unanswered questions she had left him with. </p><p>He thought she may have apparated, so quick was her disappearance but he hadn't heard the tell-tale pop sound. He didn't question it further, long having stopped trying to decipher the girls actions. He ambled over to the desk, observing the young rose bud that now lay there. </p><p>It was perhaps the most perfect rose he'd seen, not that he'd ever tell his mother that. Vibrant green leaves, a completely blemish free surface and already the slightest hint of its sweet fragrance permeated the air around it. Unusually though the rose was a rich black where the petals peaked out from the sepals that currently protected it, natural black roses were uncommon unless magically produced. According to his mother's many lectures on Herbology and rose cultivation, Draco swore she'd give Longbottom a run for his money as far as knowledge went. Though both of them together talking about Herbology might be more than he could handle. </p><p>Hoping to keep it alive as well as maintain its beautiful aesthetic for as long as possible, not to mention potentially encourage it to bloom sooner, he conjured a vase full of water. Then he got one of the house elves to grab some of the expensive rose plant food Narcissa used in her gardens so he could use it on his rose. He didn't have his mother's green thumb but he would be damned if the rose died on his watch. </p><p>***</p><p>Days passed as he carefully and meticulously attended the rose. He did however remember her words, and tried his best to go out and enjoy life. He caught up with Potter and his friends several times, worked relentlessly on finishing his new broom, anything he could do to keep himself simultaneously distracted and entertained. Doing everything in his power to keep the mysterious beauty from his every thought. </p><p>Still she entered his dreams, like a thick smoke seeping under the crevices of his mental defences when he was most vulnerable. Stealing into his subconscious, when he couldn't stop himself from thinking of her, whilst he was sleeping and defenceless against the memories of her. The task of keeping her at bay only possible while awake, albeit still a difficult one to achieve. </p><p>After almost a month of this pattern, going out with one friend or another then coming home to work on his broom, he saw the rose was almost in full bloom. At least now his friends wouldn't constantly question why he had suddenly become so sociable, he would be able to explain about the mystery girl who had him so enraptured. Or he'd have to admit that he'd been turned down by someone he'd tried to pursue and suffer their relentless teasing about how he couldn't land a date. </p><p>***</p><p>He had just put the finishing touches on his broom and was ready to take it out for its first official flight to celebrate. Draco put on his quidditch gear, gave his mother an unexpected hug and kissed her on the cheek as he passed by her on the way outside, then he bee-lined towards the manors flying field. </p><p>Swiftly taking off, he immediately felt the incredible speeds the new broom gave him. He was so utterly encompassed by the feeling that he didn't notice the darkly clad girl at the edge of the trees where they had first interacted. He was not aware of nor noticed the rose in his office, at last opening its petals completely, signifying it had finally reached the peak of its bloom. </p><p>For the briefest slivers of time, his mind and heart were truly free, free of worry or pain or wanting, just living in the moment. </p><p>And that was the moment his body gave out. </p><p>The ticking time bomb of the hidden illness residing within him finally reared its ugly head and claimed his life. The promise she had made to return was now kept, but only she had known what her return truly meant. </p><p>In that moment, as he soared through the sky, feeling as free as the birds he'd desperately desired to be, he lost his mortal coil. As his body plummeted before once again being slowed prior to hitting the ground by the object of his affections, his spirit drifted peacefully downwards. She smiled sadly at him, wishing she could change what was happening but unable to deny the small bubble of joy she felt at seeing him again, try as she might to pretend it didn't exist. </p><p>"I'm sorry I couldn't explain before, I didn't mean to deceive you but I couldn't tell you prior to now. My next visit was only allowed to be at this moment, when you passed from one side to the other." She informed him. "My true name is Hermione, but the mortals know me as Death."</p><p>His grin surprised her. "Does that mean, I'm somehow lucky enough that I now get to spend forever with you? If you want me there that is." Draco retorted. </p><p>She couldn't refrain from chuckling at his unexpected response, he glanced at her curiously, waiting for her to explain. </p><p>"You're a strange one Draco Malfoy, I'm looking forward to getting to know you more over the next eternity or two." Hermione smiled up at him, before pulling him in for a kiss, one he had been waiting desperately for. Then hand in hand, she led him from his home in life, at the manor, to the realm she called home and the lengthy existence he would be subjected to now as one of the dead. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We hope you enjoy and thank you for reading xo</p></blockquote></div></div>
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